“Whether the opponent is an adult or child, the robot always returns the ball in a way that is easy for the opponent to hit,” Omrom explains on its website. “This is to ensure that the human’s attention remains on the ball, and not on the pneumatic brain-plunger creeping steadily toward his head.”

I forgot to mention this in the post, but it is not yet known whether the woman was, herself, vaccinated. But even if she were, her immunocompromised state may have reduced the vaccine’s effectiveness. The case highlights the purpose of herd immunity: Through widespread vaccination, we can protect those who are unable…

My high school English teacher really hated the word “moist.” Actually, I can’t remember if it was “moist,” “plum,” or “loaf.” It might have been all three, because I remember him cringing at the mention of a “moist plum loaf.”